Greg DeMarco’s Top 5 format continues with a look at AEW Dynamite “Holiday Bash” from 12/21/2022!

As you might know by now, I am testing out formats for potential analysis next year. So far, we’ve had:

• Greg DeMarco’s Review & Analysis: AEW Dynamite “Winter Is Coming” 12/14/2022
• Greg DeMarco’s Review & Analysis: WWE Smackdown 12/16/2022
• Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: WWE Monday Night Raw: 12/19/2022

Tonight we continue might be an easier format for me–but does it translate for you? We’re looking at my Top 5 moments from AEW Dynamite “Holiday Bash!”

Don’t forget, you can get your full recap thanks to Steven Mitchell here.

Honorable Mention

• Samoa Joe’s promo was so well done. I hope they appreciate what they have in him.
• Action Andretti definitely has a future at this top level of this business.
• I’ve seen the criticism, but I really like Hook. He fit sin in the right ways, and stands out in the right ways. He’s only going to learn and grow in the coming years.
• Power Slap, the upcoming program for Dana White’s Power Slap League, will debut on January 11 after Dynamite. No, this isn’t a commercial–I’m not getting paid for this. But it IS notable, because it shows Dynamite’s value to TBS in the fact that it can now be used as a lead-in for another vehicle on the network.
• The whole Mogul debut took far too long, and was probably better served on Rampage than Dynamite, or as an internet exclusive. I don’t think this landed the way they thought it would. It’s not all bad, but I don’t see why people always see the need to surround Swerve with so many people.

And Now … Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: AEW Dynamite “Holiday Bash” 12/21/2022!

5. Jon Moxley vs. Darius Martin

So Rampage has (had?) a huge Thee Kings Christmas Trios Casino Royale for $300,000 on Friday night, and this match was basically a commercial for it. And that’s totally fine. It’s Promoting 101.

But it was also an excuse to have this match, which was a good match in and of itself. Top Flight is full of talent, and AR Fox coming to Dynamite is something that made me very happy–he’s worked for years to get to this point, and deserves a shot.

4. Brian Danielson/Ethan Page promo

With Daniel Bryan Danielson (the character, don’t get it twisted) doing everything he can to focus on how much he loves William Regal and how much he wants to get at MJF,

Thus, Ethan Page was the LAST person anyone wanted to see get involved. But that doesn’t make it a bad thing, not at all. Ethan Page is very talented, but can’t seem to find that one thing that gets him over the hump, that makes him a bigger stay in the eyes of the fans. count That be a match with Daniel Bryan Danielson?

We’ll know sooner than later, but I am doubtful. I feel like it would take a clean win to elevate Page in this mini program, and that doesn’t make sense if Danielson is going to end up challenging MJF on PPV.

3. FTR vs. The Ass Boys

TAG. TEAM. WRESTLING.

No one in the world does it better than FTR, and that was on display here. The Ass Boys (aka, “The Gunns”) have a ton of potential. They have the look. They have the size. They have the promo chops. They have the pedigree.

“Great match with a terrible ending” is a sentiment that I have seen throughout the internet when discussing this match. And I have to be honest with you–I don’t see it. The Gunns, a heel tag team, beat the better team by cheating. This feud has been brewing for a while now, and it shouldn’t end with just one match. This finish makes perfect sense to me, because this far from over.

2. Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida in your Dynamite main event

Women were placed in prime positions on the two biggest wrestling programs on cable this week, Bayley vs. Becky Lynch on WWE Monday Night Raw, and Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida for Hayter’s AEW Women’s World Championship on tonight’s Dynamite.

#AEW Women's World Champion @jmehytr retains the title after an ABSOLUTE WAR against @shidahikaru!

It’s #AEWDynamite: #HolidayBash LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/xFtUsas8W4

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 22, 2022

Damn good match, and a perfect opportunity to go “commercial free presented by _____.” Obviously that didn’t happen, and instead was a stark reminder of why I hate picture-in-picture. There seemed to be some good shit going on during that first break, but the commercial for Align Probiotics and Jared Jewelry was far too large for me to enjoy it. I was better off not seeing it at all instead of getting “here’s what you COULD be enjoying” (and that was just one break, they seemed to have two really close together).

Hikaru Shida was the perfect first defense for Jamie Hayter. Hayter should have a long run, that’s the type of performer she is. But what do you do with Shida? Honestly, I’d love for her to be the one to eventually unseat Jade Cargill, whenever that time comes.

1. Ricky Starks Next Program Is With Chris Jericho

If you ask Ricky Starks, he’s always been here. I called it when I booked him in 2016. But man, it’s really coming together now. More than ever. He steps up his game in a new way each and every week–meaning we haven’t even seen a fully evolved Ricky Starks. But after the loss to MJF, I was slightly concerned about what would be done next with ol’ Absolute.

#Absolute @starkmanjones speaks his mind LIVE on #AEWDynamite: #HolidayBash on TBS right now! pic.twitter.com/20nF1k4jZI

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 22, 2022

Enter Chris Jericho. It’s absolutely what Ricky needs next. Chris Jericho remains one of the biggest stars in the world, and inarguably one of the top three most recognizable names on the AEW roster. Their first interaction really has Ricky coming off as the second coming of The Rock. But he’s not that–his delivery is completely different. You’ll never get away from the comparisons until The Rock himself puts Ricky over on social media, and I can see that happening soon enough.

But for now, it’s all about Chris Jericho, and he’s the type of wrestler that you can have a good, longer feud with. And I can see Ricky getting a huge PPV blowoff with Jericho in a cage, with a dog collar, who knows. This was “Day One” for Jericho/Starks, and it’s off to what I perceive to be a perfect start.

Let me know what you thought of my analysis for this edition of AEW Dynamite, and if you want me to continue this format over the other option! As I said, I want to get to writing more often, and this could be a good way to make it happen.

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Until next time, remember: enjoying wrestling is a choice…make the right choice!